The College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences (ACES) at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign has named Benjamin Quirke the recipient of the 2026 Robert M. Harrison Leadership Award for demonstrating strong leadership and engagement through his involvement in student organizations and professional experiences within the college.
Growing up, I was an incredibly shy child. I would avoid talking to people at all costs. My mom didn’t like what she was seeing at all. Her solution was to put me in after-school programs where I could talk to other young girls. I wasn’t entirely for this decision at first, but the more I went to these meetings, the more I would find myself talking and participating, something I would have never thought to do before.
As a recent communications graduate, Lia Basden missed getting her hands dirty and making things grow. “My parents have a big garden and chickens,” she said.
How do you assess the health needs of an entire community, especially its most vulnerable members? It’s a huge logistical challenge for public health offices serving counties and states around the country, but an accurate view of community health is needed to guide the services they offer and to reach their intended audiences.
The next time you grab a bag of popcorn at an Illini basketball game, you will be snacking on a local innovation years in the making.
Bill Tarter likes to say he grew up a Southern Illinois farm boy. The oldest of nine in a tight-knit Irish Catholic family, he found money was scarce, but opportunity was not.
His parents, both high school graduates, fostered an environment that encouraged their children to participate in 4-H, FFA, school plays, band and anything else that expanded their world.
Dakoda Maguire, a senior in the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
When students enroll in Agricultural and Consumer Economics 241: Advanced Personal Finance at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, many expect a traditional course with many lectures and challenging tests.
When I walked into the Agriculture Future of America (AFA) Leaders Conference for the first time, I remember feeling captivated. Hundreds of industry professionals and students in business casual and university apparel from across the country–it felt like I had walked into the "real world" of agriculture for the first time.
227 Mumford Hall, MC 710
1301 W Gregory Dr.
Urbana, IL 61801
Email: aces@illinois.edu